Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection

I am a 72 year old almost retired resident of Artarmon. I have recently taken up cycling again after realising that I could cycle relatively safely around my local area and beyond with detailed planning. My husband and I moved to Sydney from Cairns in 2012 and gave our bikes away when we were confronted by the volume of traffic in our area. However, the need to live sustainably has influenced us to buy e-bikes to allow us to cycle more safely along less used, often hilly roads. We absolutely appreciate the network of off-road cycle paths on the North Shore.

The Beaches Link as documented in the EIS on public exhibition offers nothing for cycling on the Lower North Shore and will result in severe impacts on the existing cycleways and local amenity both during construction and possibly in operation.
Of greatest concern is the popular cycleway alongside Gore Hill Freeway in Artarmon which provides a safe separated regional connection between Naremburn and Eastwood. The EIS states that this cycleway will be closed during construction, which is estimated to take around 4 years, between Station Street, Naremburn and Reserve Road, Artarmon. This also breaks the local connection between neighbouring suburbs Naremburn/Artarmon and Lane Cove.
The document proposes an alternative route to divert pedestrians and bike riders along Station Street, Francis Street, Lambs Street, Cleg Street and Reserve Road. Bike North knows this is an extremely unsafe route, with already a high volume of heavy vehicles on a hilly road, before adding the heavy vehicles accessing the construction sites. I have ridden down Reserve Road once only and do all in my power to avoid this road since the amount and size of traffic is horrendous for a person who cycles.

The EIS document downplays both the risk impact of the detour route and the significance of this bicycle path by:
Illustrating the detour route in the EIS document in Figure 8-12 as a version of the detour route with fewer hills and much reduced use of heavy vehicle Reserve Road than described in the text
Describing the detour in Chapter 8 (p8-47) as being a ‘minor impact on cyclists and would be managed by providing advanced notification to the community and appropriate linemarking and signage
Implies in Chapter 8 (p8-47) that usage is up to 150 pedestrians and cyclists in peak periods whereas this is shown in chart in Appendix E as up to 150 each hour over a number of hours – by far the majority weekday use is by bike riders
Fails to include any consideration of risks to bike riders on this detour in Chapter 23 Hazards and Risks
Fails to identify any access to the pathway at Reserve Road.

In my opinion, any detour route during construction of the Artarmon site must:
Provide separation from vehicles, protection from heavy vehicles and to Austroads standards
Be included as part of the overall site design, rather than fitting around a pre-determined site design
Be based on a final designed path as much as practical
At all stages be developed in consultation with Bike North, the Artarmon Progress Association and Willoughby Council with timely notifications of all changes
Provide an underpass of the railway line connecting to Punch Street so as to avoid steep hills and merging with vehicles on and around railway overpass roads
Provide an underpass of Herbert Street – if not possible to use the existing underpass, there is an alternative underpass off Punch Street which connects into Taylors Lane – this would be an adequate alternative during construction but not as the final path (this was part of the original detour route while the original path was being built – a cycling underpass of the railway line already existed prior to that, continued in use during that build and was upgraded to current path)
Connect directly back to the existing path from Waltham Street to avoid Reserve Road
Using Reserve Road for people who cycle should be avoided at all cost. It is a dangerous, busy road used by large construction vehicles that often are not able to see people on bikes.

I OBJECT to the destruction of Flat Rock Gully! 21ha of green space in the heart of the Northbridge! Object on the basis that there is NO sound reason almost NO consultation and environmental redevelopment plan - despite the multitude of bird and fauna life that thrives there! So far we are YET TO SEE an environmental study undertaken as to the impact of the tunnel dig on this a wildlife corridor!
We STILL need to see:
1. A full contamination study of the soil in the old tip site before construction begins
2. A full full risk assessment to the threatened species of flora & fauna at the site
3. Regular water monitoring of Flat Rock Creek and contaminants
4. Regular air quality monitoring with real time ALERTS that go off when the pollution / contaminants reach dangerous levels. These alerts are used in the mining district of the Hunter Valley as many children attend school & carry out recreation near the mines. This same sort of ALERT could be needed on the west side of Flat Rock Drive
We suggest:
1. Replacing the loss of many trees with better walking and cycling tracks.
2. Create a a sky bridge over the valley for use by cyclists and walkers.
3. This skybridge would be an aesthetically pleasing acoustic wall that runs the length of Flat Rock Drive (alongside the bush).
4. As there will be over 500 truck movements per day – trucks will a constant and ever-present sight and sound for residents each weekday and from 7-7 on Saturdays. This noise will travel through the gully and upwards to residential areas.
5. An offer to residents in proximity to the dive site to be compensated for the cost of double glazing the windows of their homes to mitigate sound as the tunnelling will be operating 24/7.
6. The regeneration of bushland after the project such as: Repurposing of the dive site into recreational playing fields,
7. OR the acoustic shed to be repurposed for recreational use.
8. A full risk assessment and remediation plan be devised for the catchment area - from Flat Rock Creek to Middle Harbour.
9. Create an underpass from Eastern Valley Way to bypass Northbridge Plaza.

This project needs a LOT more thought and LOT more consideration and a LOT more consultation with local residents before it can proceed! We are losing WAY too much to allow this $20Bill project to proceed without due consultation and consideration of IMPACT on nature AND local residents. As it stands what we are losing is WAY more than we are gaining and it is simply undemocratic to proceed without more discussion with those negatively impacted. Please HEAR us!

Dear Beaches Link team

My family owns and resides at 46 Calbina Road, Northbridge. This property is one of the closest houses to the proposed Flat Rock Drive tunnel excavation site. It also backs onto Flat Rock Gully bushland reserve and will be in direct line of sight of the excavation site.

I note that the proposed acoustic barriers do not extend around the whole excavation site, or along the full length of Flat Rock Drive. We are deeply concerned about the constant noise that will be generated by trucks removing spoil, particularly when braking and accelerating as they enter and leave the site. I understand that this will be occurring for at least 5 years on an almost continuous basis from 7:00am to 6:00pm Monday to Fridays and up to 1:00pm on Saturdays . This noise will be both distressing to my family and impact my consulting business, which operates from that address.

Please advise if:

1) It is possible to provide an acoustic barrier along the full length of Flat Rock Drive and around the full extent of the excavation site / provide double glazing, or some other form of acoustic treatment to our home - e.g. installation of double glazed windows and doors facing Flat Rock Drive;

2) Existing access to Wilksch Walk and other bush trails will be maintained from Calbina Road during the works; and

3) Impacted bush land and natural water courses will be fully reinstated upon completion of the works.

Kind regards,
John

I have lived in the area for more than 30 years, and am familiar with the popularity of the Gully for passive recreation, the progress of the bush restoration and regeneration work on the old tip site, the local flora and fauna now living in the area, and the usage of various sporting facilities in the area.
My objection is based on the proposed unnecessary destruction of the regenerated bushland area of Flat Rock Gully through the intention to place the dive site in the Gully rather than on the other side of Flat Rock drive on the baseball playing field.

My objection to the proposed use of the bushland Gully site is based on the following;
- The alternate playing field site is rarely used and then only by a handful of players, so impact on the sporting community would be minimal.
- The playing field is already flat and level and its use would not require the removal of wildlife habitat and the more than two hundred trees that will be cut down from the alternate Gully site.
- Using the playing field site would not involve the disturbance of toxic landfill and contaminants or the interference with Flat Rock Creek
- This site could be very easily remediated, (ie just flattened and re-turfed), once works are completed and could be returned for use very quickly
- In the interim, there are any number of local playing fields that could accommodate the very few baseball games played on the site.
- The cost of the project to the taxpayer of using the playing field would surely be minimised as it would not involve investigation of contaminants and pollution control from the tip, would not involve major earthworks to level the land, would not involve major tree and bush clearing and removal or redirection of the creek.

On the other hand, use of the proposed Gully site will involve large scale destruction of an area that has been diligently revegetated and regenerated over more than twenty-five years in a project that must be considered a major success for the environment.
- In terms of habitat, it does not matter whether the bush is 'old-growth' or regenerated. The fact is that it now provides habitat for a wide range of flora and fauna that is so rare in our densely built-up city.
- There is no guarantee or funding in the proposal for the restoration of the bushland area, but even if there was, it would take at least another twenty-five years.
- The Gully is a critical urban bushland island habitat in a densely build up area, and crucially links to other remaining bushland through Artarmon, Greenwich and Lane Cove.
- Once the habitat is destroyed, the wildlife in the immediate and surrounding areas will be displaced and will not wait twenty-five years to return.
- In these times of widespread environmental degradation and species decline, it is incomprehensible to me that this Gully site would not be jealously guarded and protected, but instead, after twenty-five years of restoration work, it would bulldozed.
- If the project uses the Gully site, the cost in terms of habitat destruction, loss of flora and fauna, potential pollution and remediation and loss of public greenspace is not given value in the proposal but is nonetheless very real
- This unnecessary destruction is particularly appalling when there is a perfectly viable alternative of the playing field that would preserve the bush and would merely displace a handful of players from one flat grass field to another one nearby for a few years.

I cannot believe that responding to 'community concern' led to the selection of the Gully site over the playing field as there would be far more and widespread concern about our environment and the Gully if a survey was conducted. It seems to me that the decision must have been influenced by a local council who are prioritising maintaining one of their sports assets over preservation of our declining bushland and wildlife.

If the tunnel is to be built, so be it, but please do not unnecessarily destroy and disturb any area of the habitat of Flat Rock Gully when a good alternative exists. This alternative provides an opportunity to demonstrate that as a community, we do care about our environment and that in these times of increasing pressure on our precious flora and fauna, we are prepared to prioritise and preserve them for generations to come over temporarily relocating a ball game.

Thank you for considering my views.

The Save Manly Dam Catchment Committee strongly opposes the Beaches Link project for the numerous reasons outlined in the attached submission. We believe it to be an archaic and environmentally destructive proposal which ignores modern public transport solutions. If this expensive toll road proceeds (despite serious climate change and biodiversity impacts) we include suggestions to make it less harmful to sensitive waterways and threatened species habitats.

1) DPI Fisheries recommends that all creek crossings be designed and constructed in accordance with the national guidelines entitled ‘Why do Fish Need to Cross the Road? Fish Passage Requirements for Waterway Crossings’ (Fairfull and Witheridge 2003). This document can be obtained from NSW DPI website at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au.

2) DPI Fisheries recommends offsetting the loss of fish habitat at a ratio of 2:1.

3) DPI Fisheries recommends that silt curtains be used wherever feasible to reduce impacts of turbidity on aquatic habitats are species.

4) DPI Fisheries recommends that an inspection for Whites Seahorse be undertaken within the 24 hour period prior to the commencement of on-ground disturbances within potential Whites Seahorse habitat.

5) DPI Fisheries requests to be consulted in relation to the number of Whites Seahorse found during the survey of the work area and in relation to the proposed relocation site for any seahorses found. A permit is required under Section 37 of the Fisheries Management Act to relocate the Whites Seahorses.

6) DPI Fisheries requests to be consulted in relation to the proposed offset or rehabilitation of impacted nearshore and subtidal habitats, including the development of detailed offset strategies and plans

7) DPI Fisheries supports the development and implementation of seagrass and water quality monitoring and management plans.

8) Appendix T – Marine Ecology – Section 7 Offset Strategy: “Supplementary measures may include for example, funding towards achieving actions outlined in threat abatement or species recovery plans”. DPI Fisheries advises that there are no threat abatement or species recovery plans for Whites Seahorse or Posidonia australis. If funding is to be directed towards these species, please refer to the actions outlined in the Priorities Action Statements for each species on the DPI Fisheries website https://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fishing/threatened-species/what-current

I want to strongly object this project. I don't believe this is for the greater good of the current community or future communities to come. I believe that the full environmental impact of this project has been overlooked. There will be unfiltered exhaust stacks spewing out toxins into our community, much of the scenery adjoining Garigal National Park and Manly Dam will be destroyed. It is a known fact that land clearing of any kind is a key driver to wildlife extinction. For example one of Sydney's rarest reptiles, The Rosenbergs Goanna lives in this area and will be all but destroyed. The bulldozing of 20.92 hectares of land will also destroy threatened species habitat, that's 39 football fields, 2.5 of those "pitches" is bush land listed as endangered (Duffy's Forest). Over 2000 trees would be removed along this stretch of the road many of them ancient and rare, never to be replicated. Manly Dam is the last lake in Sydney where humans can still swim in unpolluted freshwater. Earthworks and clearing of the land will destroy this luxury for the local community. Why aren't we looking at planning for a sustainable future, with visionary public transport rather than putting more cars on the road which normally have 1-2 people in these vehicles during maximum peak periods. It's just not good enough, I did not vote this government in for it to add more roads, highways, clear more of our land and destroy habitats and kill thousands of animals, trees, plants. Please do the right thing by the community and stop this insane project.

Like many residents of Willoughby, I do not support this project. There is no justification for it. Existing roads are more than sufficient to get people to and from the beach, and not that many people live on the beaches - unless you are planning to redevelop it all to high rise like you have elsewhere. Better fill it with car parks for all the extra cars you want to send up there through your tunnel. The ridiculous justification I have seen used in your materials, that it is to reduce drive time for beaches people to get to and from the airport is laughable. This is not a project that will produce a better future for Willoughby or for Sydney. The money is better spent on other projects, and improving health and education services.

My specific area of my objection is the tunneling site at Flat Rock Gully. This site has spent YEARS regenerating, inhabited by native wildlife and enjoyed by daily walkers and commuters. This site is also close to highly used sporting fields and playgrounds. The entrance of the site is at a hazardous bend leading to a busy road.

Considering these environmental, financial and health cost of this tunneling site, a review on this area is strongly required.

Hi - there is currently no noise barrier/wall on the east side of Burnt Bridge Creek north of Kitchener Street Bridge (there is one on the west side). This results in a significant amount of traffic noise at all times of day. Residents of this area are worried that the noise will only increase following construction of the Beaches Link, becomming unbearable (especially with the construction site at Kitchener Street).
Whilst I am very supporting of the project please can you consider building a noise barrier/wall on the east side of Burnt Bridge Creek north of Kitchener Street Bridge - thereby reducing noise to local residents with properties along Kitchener Street, Balgowlah Road and West Street amongst others.
Kind regards
Charles Dickson

Fully supportive of project to ease significant traffic congestion on Military road.

Hi,

I live in Cremorne on Grasmere rd not too far from where the smoke stacks will be built.

Building new infrastructure incurs costs, especially for the local community, the overall benefit is positive for greater Sydney/NSW as a whole.

Once there was opposition to the original Sydney harbour tunnel, and now we can’t live without it. Please look towards the future.

During the life of the tunnel, the majority of the vehicles that will use the tunnel will use electric /hydrogen technology with no emissions.

I still prefer for a metro rail to be built for the northern beaches, however any infrastructure is a step in a positive direction.

Kind regards,

Vagram

I am calling on the Minister for Planning Rob Stoke, and my Federal Representative Zali Steggall to halt the destruction of the Roadway along the Wakehurst Parkway in preparation for the Norther beaches Tunnel preparation, until the Western link is operational so that a report can determine if the projected figures are even close to the numbers expected to use it. Very few new links operate at "expected levels" when there is a toll involved. With so many working from home, and the incredible lack of foresight that resulted in the lack of a rail line from Chatswood to Dee Why past the new Northern Beaches Hospital, this tunnel (which doesn't appear to have a dedicated bus lane) will cause much more damage to our environment that any possible benefit. It is already expensive to pay tolls every day, and this tunnel won't help many of us who work on the southern side of the city towards the airport. The destruction of the natural heritage bushland of the Manly Dam and Manly Warringah Memorial Park is home to some unique fauna and the only known climbing fish. Once their environment is compromised, we may lose them and these species are not something that you can just "replace". Please wait before degrading the environment. The Northern Beaches do not need this tunnel. We need better public transport.

Please proceed with this project

Flat Rock Gully turning into a Dive site
Like many residents in the Willoughby area, we are mentally & emotionally stressed about the demolishing of the bushland know as Flat Rock Gully. Thousands of trees are going to be knocked down and the area is going to be turned into a dirty dive site for the so called "Northern Beaches Link".

I would like to discuss how is it possible for the NSW Govt to allow an area classed as a "Wild Life Protection area" that is home to over 30 threatened species to be demolished, polluted and ruined?

The NSW Health quoted on national TV last week "the cricket must go ahead as it's good for people's mental health"

Yet most of us who care about the environment are still very mentally scarred from the bushfires, and now we are going to witness this beautiful area demolished for a very unnecessary reason, 'a dive sit' probably just to save a few dollars.

This area was used by thousands of people in the Covid lock down for walking and destressing, not only is it housing many threatened species, it is one of the few left bushlands that people can access to 'escape' the hustle and bustle of inner city living.

I would like to understand how them Environmental Minister is standing by and letting Gladys B, John B and Andrew C getting demolish a Wildlife Protection Zone.

Flat Rock Gully SHOULD be classed as a National Park. This lazy attitude of the NSW Govt that treats trees and nature as something that's "in their way" is backwards and these so called leaders are stuck in their 1950 ways. We need innovative and intelligent solutions where infrastructure works with nature NOT against it.

I urge you take this matter seriously and ask the NSW Govt leaders to find another place for their dive site that does not destroy bushlands, kill more native animals, (including the 30+ threatened species that live there), PLUS the outstanding contribution this tunnel will add to Sydney's pollution issues, air and water, not to mention how this effects climate change, and they will be digging up toxic waste and old asbestos materials from the last time the government was dumb enough to destroy this area use it for a tip.

Please reconsider the placement of this dive site.


Thank you for your time.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Notice of Exhibition
Beaches Link and Gore Hill Freeway Connection (SSI-8862)

Thank you for notifying Fire & Rescue NSW (FRNSW) of the exhibition of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the above State Significant Infrastructure project, and request for agency review and comment.

It is understood that the EIS has been prepared by Jacobs Group (Australia) and Arcadis Australia Pacific on behalf of Transport for NSW (the Proponent) to address matters identified in the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) that were issued in regard to the construction and operation of tunnels and roadways, including; a western bypass of the Sydney CBD, and an alternative to the Military Road/Spit Road and Warringah Road corridors.

It is understood that the Proponent (or representatives thereof) will be required to undertake consultation with FRNSW throughout the design process in regard to the fire and life safety aspects of the project. As such, FRNSW submit no specific comments or recommendations for consideration given that agency specific requirements can be addressed at this time.

If you have any queries regarding the above please contact the Fire Safety Infrastructure Liaison Unit, referencing FRNSW file number BFS20/4064. Please ensure that all correspondence in relation to this matter is submitted electronically to [email protected].

Regards,

I object to the project unless and until measures are implemented to mitigate the impact of construction traffic and noise on the students of Balgowlah Boys High School. The school is directly opposite the Balgowlah Golf Course construction hub which is forecast to have 495 heavy vehicles a day travelling to and from it. This will pose an unacceptable interruption to students and will have a very detrimental impact on their learning and academic results. A commitment must be made to ensure that the impact on students is mitigated by adequate acoustic insulation and other appropriate solutions.

I object to this project for the following reasons.

This is a misguided use of money. You are simply displacing traffic that occurs along Spit/Military Roads and putting this under ground. There are already pinch points around the Cammeray/Warringah Freeway area and this is simply going to be exacerbated with the proposed on and off ramps being located in the area.

People are not going to be willing to pay the toll so there will still be traffic issues above ground as well as below ground not to mention the tunnel will promote additional traffic to some of the back streets of Cremorne, Neutral Bay, Cammeray which will create safety issues for families.

Instead these funds/tunnel should be used for public transport which would benefit the wider community (ie. younger kids/teenages (who can't drive), older people (who are reluctant/can't drive) as well as everyone else in between who would prefer public transport than drive and hassle with finding parking) . Let's be like our overseas rivals and link it to the Sydney Metro....building a road for cars is so glib and short sighted.

Implementing a better public transport system would also have a greater impact on improving our environment. Has a public transport option to serve the Northern Beaches been considered?

The proposed location of the ventilation stacks is shocking given the proximity to houses and numerous schools and the notion that any decrease on air quality will be "negligible" or "imperceptible" is wrong. These stacks MUST BE VENTILATED and also why not spread them out....why should residents located at either end of the tunnel be subject to the pollution being spewed out by all the traffic rather than venting it out at various points along the tunnel. I presume this is the save money? Given the health implications this does not seem at all equitable. At its very core ANY decrease in the air quality should be grounds for not allowing this project to go ahead.

The traffic and congestion caused during both the operation and construction of this development will cause safety issues given the number of young children living in the area as well as as they travel to and from school/preschool etc. around the Cammeray area. There is a very high number of young children moving about in the area given the number of schools and this is cause for concern.

The development will encroach on the green spaces available to locals diminishing the liveability of the surrounding neighbourhoods.

Thank you for considering the above. I really would like to see some alternative ideas and feasibility undertaken around how better to allocate these funds....surely public transport is a better alternative.

Love a good infrastructure plan - especially for the beaches

I object to the project on a number of fronts.
1. The investment of $14bn + should be in public transport infrastructure and not on building roads. The priority should be to build infrastructure to support public transport options to the northern beaches and not building more toll roads. The long term viability of public transport vs building more roads must be the priority. The tunnels, in their current design only funnel traffic from one bottleneck to another. There is no improvement in the road network to support the tunnels.

2. The unfiltered stacks. I live in Cammeray. We have no direct benefit of these tunnels. We have all the negative impacts of years of construction and then the ongoing impacts of unfiltered pollution in an area that has thousands of students within multiple schools between North Sydney and Willoughby. Our kids deserve better. Our community deserves better. Building infrastructure for future generations should not come at the health expense of future generations.

3. Environmental impacts to Flat Rock Gully. This area is significant to our community. It provides leisure options and enables physical activity for many. It is also home to flora and fauna. All of this is at risk, both short term during the build and long term. Our green space, essential to help manage pollution from already existing main arterial roads around our community, is significantly impacted. No guarantees this will be regenerated.

4. Traffic impacts due to the construction. With Cammeray in the middle of two significant tunnels sites, the traffic congestion due to the hundreds of trucks a day will be a significant impact on our community. I live on Miller St. The traffic that will by pass Flat Rock/Brooke St and travel down/up Miller to access the city on ramps during construction is concerning. Cammeray public school has hundreds of children and families navigating Miller st everyday. This additional congestion is a significant concern. The thoroughfare of the Miller St shopping precinct will be heavily congested with the additional traffic by passing the key construction site at flat rock. What plans are in place to minimise this impact on the Cammeray community and Miller st residents? With 24/7 tunnelling and construction, the noise and traffic congestion will be a significant impact to quality of life. What reimbursement or compensation is offered to local communities to minimise impacts and disruptions in our local streets and communities.

This is not a project for progress. This is a project to justify putting more cars on roads. Please consider building infrastructure that supports public transport.